Brand, web & content

How do I get a fake or unfair Google review removed?

Report it, appeal once if needed, and reply calmly in public while you wait. In your Business Profile open Read reviews, flag the review and choose the reason. Only reviews that break Google's policy come down: fake engagement, a conflict of interest such as a competitor or former employee, off-topic content, harassment and the like. A review you simply disagree with stays. Track the report in the Reviews Management Tool; evaluation usually takes several days. If the result is 'no policy violation', use the one-time appeal there, selecting up to 10 reviews. If someone floods you with one-star reviews and demands money to stop, report it as review extortion through Google's form and do not pay. For a review you believe is defamatory, file Google's legal removal request. Meanwhile reply once, factually and without the reviewer's personal details, so other readers see your side. Rule: never pay anyone who promises removal; Google's own tools are free.

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The official route to flag a review, track it in the Reviews Management Tool and make a one-time appeal if Google finds no violation.

Report inappropriate reviews on your Business Profile

From support.google.com by Google Help page

  • Only reviews that break policy are removed; disagreeing with one is not grounds.
  • Evaluation usually takes several days; check status in the Reviews Management Tool.
  • The one-time appeal lets you select up to 10 reviews.
Open support.google.com →
📄 Article
✓ Link checked Free Beginner

Google's guidance on asking for reviews and replying to them, including how to answer a negative review without making it worse.

Tips to get more reviews and write better replies

From support.google.com by Google Help page

  • Incentives for reviews, changes or removals break Google's policy.
  • Reply briefly, personally and without promotions; offer to take complex issues to phone or email.
  • Never share a reviewer's private details in a reply.
Open support.google.com →

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